If you love helicopters and heights, and if you love skiing, then there is a hobby that combines both of these worlds. Heli skiing is really good if you are an adrenaline junkie, and if you want to bring your skiing game to a whole new level. However, it would be unwise to take up heli-skiing so recklessly despite how good you think you are. If you are not a fan of fractured bones, you should be really careful during your lessons. So, if you are a heli skiing rookie, then you might find the following tips quite useful.
Listen to your guide and take it slow
Your ski guide is an experienced veteran in this area, and you should follow his instructions. This activity requires concentration, so he or she will probably try to plant a seed of friendship in your mind. If you are more relaxed, you can maintain your focus, concentrate on what the instructor is saying, and you will be safer this way.
However, do not get too relaxed and overconfident, since it can easily backfire. For starters, there is no reason to imagine that you'll be jumping out of a flying helicopter with your skies on and land directly on the snow. That is not heli skiing; that is a James Bond or Expendables movie.
Furthermore, there is no need to rush. Take your time to make sure you have put on your equipment firmly. If you feel pressured to speed up, ask your guide if you are in a hurry, and he'll probably say that you should take your time and ensure you bundle the skies properly. Once you learn to do that, you'll get faster at it.
Pay close attention to safety training. Ask as many questions as you like, and don't stress over it. You'll probably go over some of the grim stuff like avalanche transceivers, avalanche rescue procedures, etc. But, it's absolutely necessary that you know that stuff.
Find the best location
In order to truly enjoy heli skiing, you'll need a good location with a fantastic view, something that is soothing and not intimidating. You can try out heli skiing in Iceland. It's really majestic and it has the middle earth Lord of the Rings vibe, which is pretty awesome. It has great snow during spring and early in the year, and it has areas for both rookies and experienced heli skiers.
Furthermore, Iceland is a magical place in general, so this is an amazing opportunity to pay a visit. You should also consider, Hakuba in Japan, and Coastal Mountains; these are also remarkable locations for this sport.
Take fat skis or a board
These may look strange and hard to control, but in reality, it is an entirely different story. They make transitioning to snowy surfaces much easier, so you'll have smoother turns and better balance. In other words, this is much better for your first training exercise. You won't be better at heli skiing with it, but you'll have greater control over your motions. If you already know how to ski, just stick to the fundamentals, keep your upper body facing down, hands forward, coil and uncoil when you want to turn, and that's about it.
Layers and layers of clothes
You'll go to new heights and you'll go via helicopter, so never second-guess your decision to put additional layers of warm clothes. The activity you are about to experience is also a perfect recipe for a fever. So, do not be bothered with potential loss of mobility. If you are feeling warm enough, you can easily remove one or two layers of clothes; so, better safe than sorry.
Don't go alone
Lastly, never go alone. First of all, the experience is really awesome, so make sure you bring a couple of friends. Second, you should ask you skiing buddy to be right behind you and to watch your back, in case you lose your balance. Again, with a greater sense of security comes greater concentration. Besides, your guide will ask you to ski in pairs, so it would be good to be with someone you know and trust.
